Don't Be Afraid

Contents

The player character is a young, fearful girl who has been trapped in the dusty, dark confines of a abandoned mansion said to be haunted. It turns out that these rumors have more than a hint of truth to them, as spirits that reside in the mansion are restrained there by powerful emotions from their days as living beings and aren't interested in letting her leave. Intent on escape, the girl must attempt to calm the wrathful spirits in order to escape before she becomes a ghost herself.

This game models the feeling of shyness and social anxiety, depicting the experience in a metaphorical light. The setting of the game holds an oppressive, intimidating feeling similar to the undercurrent of anxiety that shy individuals have in social settings, while the girl's interaction with the mansion spirits recreates the growing sense of unease in talking with others while unsure of their social response.

(Create a detailed plan for completing your game in a 13 week time span. BE DETAILED! Include things like "have player character animations completed and implemented", "Have the main menu and level selection screens implemented", "Have all sound effects the the player will make", etc)

Week 1: ( 1st Round Pitches ) Getting a team together!

Week 2:

Determine weekly meeting time

assign roles

Beat Doc

asset list

Week 3:

(Writing) Have the game space mapped out, prototype of dialogue tree sketched out.

(Art) Characters are sketched out, photo locations are scouted.

(Programming)Have a simple movement system created.

Week 4: At least 3 puzzles are designed

(Art) Background images are photographed, main character and at least 1 ghost are drawn.

(Writing) Girl character is fleshed out, ghost personalities are set and encounters are being planned.

(Programming) Determine which special effects can be used in engine.

Week 5:

(Art) Background images are edited, main character image can be put into the game.

(Writing) At least one puzzle/encounter should be written out out for implementation.

(Programming) Stick art into the game, have ghost effects done or mostly done.

(Sound) Find some scary sounds.

Week 6:

(Art)Have ghosts drawn

(Writing) Have another puzzle/encounter written out for implementation.

(Programming) Have the puzzle and ghost linked, put more completed art into the game.

(Sound) Implement soundscrape into the environment.

(Testing)Begin external playtesting among friends, family, peers.

Week 7: (Playable Beta)

(Testing)Test among the VG Dev group

(Art) Sketch out static cutscenes

(Writing)Have detailed dialogue written for the first parts of the game.

(Programming) Have ghost encounters coded for win/lose scenarios.

(Sound) Create sounds for ghost encounters

Week 8: (GDC)

(Testing) Have a list of feedback from testers.

(Art)Have opening cutscene image drawn.

(Writing)Continue writing dialogue for exploration and encounters.

(Programming)Have a rough 'win' scenario implemented.

Week 9:

(Testing)Continue testing

(Art) Closing cutscenes are finished

(Writing)Have dialogue finished.

(Programming) Bug fixes

(Sound) Have simple soundtrack for first menu.

Week 10: See what remains!

For Andrew - Finish write-up.

Week 11 (Spring Break): Nothing probably!

For Andrew - Have write-up edited and ready to turn in.

Week 12: Game should mostly finished, continue with bug fixes and minor additions.